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French Gratitude Train Collection
Description: Visitor to the French Gratitude Train looking at a display case of traditional French dolls. On the wall are posters for the Alsace and Savoie regions of France from the French National Railroad Society. In 1948 the United States sent a large shipment of food, fuel and clothing to Le Havre, France, to be distributed to needy people in the war-torn country. To reciprocate, the French people collected gifts, including hand-made toys and crafts and local specialities, to send to the United States. The gifts filled 49 box cars, one for each state and one to be shared by Hawaii and Washington, D.C. The train, known as the "Gratitude Train," "Train de la Reconnaissance," or "Merci Train," arrived in the United States in 1949. The boxcars were "40 & 8" type cars that had been used to transport troops during World War I and World War II. The Ohio train traveled through the state from June 5 through October 22, 1950. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: SC1344_09
Subjects: World War II; Postwar Europe; France; International relations; French Gratitude Train
Places: Ohio